


4th of July

by c0cunt



Series: c0cunt's minifics [38]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Post-Break Up, Unhappy Ending, no death; but is a sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 00:38:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11862999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: As friends and family gathered further within the park, Keith remained near the sign's entrance as he waited for the one person he desperately wanted to see most.





	4th of July

**Author's Note:**

> -jazz hands-  
> i have absolutely no idea where the angst came from  
> i have no idea if this is even a good idea - it's been un-beta'd.

Keith felt even  _ more _ uncomfortable, as families and groups of friends laughed and slowly made their way closer to the town’s park, where the fireworks display was going to be set up, eyes focused on the ground.  It had taken him so long to get to the point he could psych himself up to wait at the park’s entrance.  Even now, all of Keith’s instincts were telling him to just abandon this stupid idea, and go back to hiding in his tiny apartment, pull his moldy blankets over his head and hide from the pain  _ still _ lacerating his heart with every other beat.

 

A pair of boots appeared at the edge of Keith’s view, and his head snapped up to look at Shiro, who couldn’t match Keith’s gaze.  He appeared just as he always had, broad and commanding, but with the slightest hunch to his shoulders that revealed he wasn’t at the top of his game - Keith couldn’t help feeling guilty for causing that, even as he felt glad to just be in his  _ presence. _  The past two months had been hard.  In his arms, Shiro cradled a small cardboard box, as if it held the most precious treasure in the world.  And, well, maybe it had been, once upon a time; but the stuff in the box wasn’t more than junk anymore, that Keith didn’t feel ashamed admitting to himself that he would bawl his eyes out over it later.  Keith let his gaze drop as he cleared his throat.

 

“Shiro,” Keith greeted, trying to sound as neutral as possible, feeling the other man’s weighty gaze fall upon him.  Keith could see Shiro’s weight shifting from one foot to the other, but he refused to let himself look at the other man’s face.

 

“Keith…” Shiro started, almost sounding like he had something else to add.  Nothing could really bridge the gap anymore, though, and Shiro fell silent.  Uncomfortable silence swirled around them, both men too wrapped up in their own pain, trying to claw their way across the chasm.  Keith waited hopefully, looking up through his lashes as Shiro struggled, the grip he had on the box making the cardboard dent.  Maybe that was his cue to take the box?  Keith raised his hands willingly, and Shiro automatically handed it off to Keith, like he had with plenty of others less than two years ago.  

 

Keith breathed in the scent of wet cardboard, and shifted the weight of the box to lift a corner curiously.  His old Garrison sweatshirt, his laptop and accompanying charger, and one of his copies of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy had been reverently placed inside.  The final nail in the coffin, and Keith couldn’t hide the hitch in his breath.

 

“Keith…” Shiro tried again, taking a hesitant step into Keith’s space.  Keith stayed frozen, as Shiro’s hands hovered, wanting to console and touch, but not allowed the privilege to do so anymore.  “We...You’re always welcome back home,” Shiro struggled, exposing his own raw emotions with a wavering tone.

 

_ Home. _  Keith felt the hot press of tears welling up, thinking of the home Shiro referred to.  The tiny trailer that they had scraped the money together to afford, on the smallest lot in the park.  Where Shiro had insisted on planting catnip, and Keith had taken photos of all the cats that rolled in their garden when Shiro wasn’t home (some of those photos were still on his phone).  The tiny kitchen they had spent two days trying to decide if they wanted a light blue or light green backsplash.  The bathroom that Keith had spent two days installing the new tiles in (two days, only because Keith fell asleep in the bathtub before he had finished).  Their bedroom with the sliding glass doors out to the lanai, where Keith would always find Shiro first thing in the morning, doing push ups or stretches.

 

“I can’t,” Keith rasped, as a sharp whistle and trail of light shot into the sky.  A half heartbeat’s pause, and red light exploded overhead, much to the delight of the people further in the park.  Shiro flinched sharply at the sounds, eyes flickering away from Keith’s face, giving the other man time to think.  “You know I can’t.”  Keith added finally, as he stepped away from the warmth radiating off of Shiro’s body.

 

Keith  _ had _ to leave.  He had to learn how to continue on without Shiro, if...He just  _ had to, _ before Shiro truly was gone.  Another firework, bright green this time, exploded overhead, much to the rowdy crowd’s delight, as Shiro flinched again.  Still, he placed his hands over Keith’s, and squeezed softly, gaining the eye contact he had sought.  Even in the half-darkness, Keith could clearly see the pain and longing in Shiro’s eyes, and it hurt to know he’d put that there.

 

“Please come home soon.”  Shiro begged, his head bowing under the weight of their combined loss.  “I’m lost without you.”

 

Blue exploded overhead, followed rapidly by red, green, and white.  Each boom made them jump, and Keith wanted nothing more than to go back home with Shiro.  But their dependency on each other wasn’t  _ healthy. _  Keith was perfectly fine if it was just him, but he couldn’t be Shiro’s undoing.  Shiro’s weakness.

 

“Bye Shiro,” Keith said instead of the millions of other words he wanted to.  Instead of folding into the warm hug he knew would envelop him, he stepped away, slowly slipping his hands out of Shiro’s grip.  The box hugged tightly to his body, both armor and a comfort, Keith turned away before he could hear if Shiro would protest again.  Soon, he was speed-walking away from the scene of the crime - the senseless murder of two hearts - and would soon return to the postage stamp apartment.  Alone.

**Author's Note:**

> (in case it wasn't clear: Keith broke up with Shiro and moved out, after figuring that they were both unhealthily dependent on the other.)
> 
> thank you for reading!!! kudos and comments are always loved and appreciated!!!


End file.
